Phlox plant named ‘Dophlosprisca’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant named ‘Dophlosprisca’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to creeping and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; large reddish purple-colored flowers with dark red-colored centers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Phlox subulata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPHLOSPRISCA’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Dümmen Group B.V. of De Lier, The Netherlands on Aug. 12, 2020, application number 2020/1902. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant, botanically known as Phlox subulata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dophlosprisca’.

The new Phlox plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new freely-flowering Phlox plants with large attractive flowers.

The new Phlox plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in April, 2014 in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, of a proprietary selection of Phlox subulata identified as code number SB10-000012-012, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Phlox subulata identified as code number SB10-000008-002, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Phlox plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in April, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands since June, 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Phlox have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dophlosprisca’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dophlosprisca’ as a new and distinct Phlox plant:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to creeping and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3 Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large reddish purple-colored flowers with dark red-colored         centers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Phlox differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Phlox have reddish purple-colored flowers with dark red-colored centers whereas plants of the female parent selection have pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Phlox differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Phlox have reddish purple-colored flowers with dark red-colored centers whereas plants of the male parent selection have purple-colored flowers with dark pink-colored centers.

Plants of the new Phlox can be compared to plants of Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Phlox and ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox flower later than plants of ‘Emerald         Cushion Blue’.     -   2. Plants of the new Phlox and ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ differ in         flower color as plants of the new Phlox have reddish         purple-colored flowers with dark red-colored centers whereas         plants of ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ have light blue-colored         flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Phlox plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Phlox plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plant of ‘Dophlosprisca’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late winter and early spring in 17-cm containers initially in a glass-covered greenhouse and finished in an outdoor nursery in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Phlox production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 21° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were pinched one time two weeks after planting rooted young plants and plants were 46 weeks old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Second Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox subulata ‘Dophlosprisca’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Phlox             subulata identified as code number SB10-000012-012, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Phlox             subulata identified as code number SB10-000008-002, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days             at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white to light yellow in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial typically grown             as a container and garden plant; outwardly spreading to             creeping and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit and             relatively slow growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 14 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 44 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Branching habit: Freely branching habit             with numerous primary and secondary lateral branches             developing per plant. Length: About 17 cm. Internode length:             About 1.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 10° from             vertical to horizontal. Texture and luster: Pubescent;             glossy. Color, developing: Close to 145B. Color, developed:             Close to 145A; with development, becoming close to 199B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate; simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 mm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire, slightly ciliate.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Hyphodromous.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,             close to 137C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rotate and             salverform flowers arranged in terminal and lateral             panicles; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly depending             on position on inflorescence; freely flowering habit with             about three open flowers per inflorescence and about 525             flowers developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 39             weeks after planting; plants flower in April and May in the             garden in The Netherlands; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Elliptical. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             matte. Color: Close to 74A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 11 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 10 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.5 cm to 2.6 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 6 mm.         -   Flower diameter, proximally.—About 2 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals fused at the base into a narrow tube. Lobe             length: About 1.2 cm. Lobe width: About 8 mm. Lobe shape:             Obovate. Lobe apex: Obtuse. Lobe margin: Entire; slightly             undulate. Lobe texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Lobe texture and luster, lower surface:             Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Throat texture and luster:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Tube texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; semi-glossy. Color: When opening, upper surface:             Close to 74A; towards the throat, close to 187A. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 74A. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 74A; towards the throat, close to 187B;             venation, close to 74A; color becoming closer to 78A with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 78A;             venation, close to 78A; color becoming closer to 78B with             development. Throat: Close to 187B; venation, close to 187B.             Tube: Close to 72A; venation, close to 72A.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused towards the base; calyx, tubular in shape.             Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Narrowly             deltoid, subulate. Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture             and luster, upper surface: Pubescent; semi-glossy. Texture             and luster, lower surface: Pubescent; glossy. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 79A. When             opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 141A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: About 70° from lateral             branch axis. Texture and luster: Pubescent; glossy. Color:             Close to 53A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Flexible. Aspect: About 10° from peduncle axis.             Texture and luster: Pubescent; glossy. Color: Close to 53A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             five. Filament length: About 8 mm. Filament color: Close to             145C. Anther size: About 1 mm by 0.5 mm. Anther shape:             Elliptical. Anther color: Close to 5A. Pollen amount:             Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 21A. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.2 cm. Stigma diameter:             About 1 mm. Stigma shape: Cleft, three-parted. Stigma color:             Close to 150C. Style length: About 8 mm. Style color: Close             to 145C. Ovary color: Close to 140A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Phlox. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind,     temperatures ranging from −35° C. to 35° C. and to be suitable for     USDA Hardiness Zone 3. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Phlox have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Phlox plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Phlox plant named ‘Dophlosprisca’ as illustrated and described. 